Holiday Insomniac
by xELinneax
Summary: Elena can barely get enough sleep to last throughout the week. Christmas is coming; she's got two weeks off school to get herself under control. Who's gonna swoop in and help her get over her insomnia?
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Ah, it's that time of year. Snow, hot chocolate, baking, fun... ;) **

**Since I'm working on my other story **_**Surprise Destination**_** at the moment, I decided to write this as well... **

**It just popped up in my head and most of this actually relates to what I'm going through personally. I've been having a rough year and I'm going to start seeing someone soon to help me with my personal issues, but right now I wanted to kind of write them out instead so that I can get some emotions released anyway. **

**NOTE: I might not continue this, so maybe review and tell me your thoughts? Even if you just need to talk to someone about things going on in your life, I'm here. Don't hesitate to contact me. **

**Oh and a late Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to you all. (: **

**Disclaimer: **_**The Vampire Diaries**_** belongs to the CW and L.J. Smith. I do not own any of the characters mentioned. **

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Holiday Insomniac

Chapter 1:

_Friday, December 20_

Bold red numbers glowed in the room of Elena Gilbert, reminding her it was still way too early to be awake. At the back of her mind she already knew she wouldn't be able to fall back asleep, but she kept trying anyway, in hopes that her brain would shut down and shut up so she could have some peace. It seemed that during the past month she could no longer get enough sleep to make it through most days. No matter how early she went to bed she would wake up every night, attaining only three hours of sleep. Then she'd be stuck trying to fall back asleep to no prevail, and in result sleep straight through her alarm in the morning and be late for class. On top of that, when she actually had enough strength to drag herself out of bed and go to school, it was then she'd finally fall asleep - in class. No reason struck her mind as to why it started happening, but maybe it had something to do with the fact that Christmas was nearing.

She glanced back at the clock. 5:30 AM. School was in another three hours. _Great_.

Elena tossed from one side to another, making a final attempt at finding a comfortable position to relax. Incoherent curses were muttered under her breath and frustrated huffs slipped past her lips when she finally gave up trying, and she sat up with a groan and threw her feet out from under the covers, letting them dangle over the edge of the bed. Her hands were clammy as she raked them through her hair and she looked around the room, feeling the cool air start to crawl over her uncovered skin. Small figures and silhouettes of her furniture appeared slowly to her human eyes, and the light from the full moon shining down through her window casted shadows over the floorboards that seemed to creep closer and closer, as if to pull her in and drag her away from the world she knew.

Her stomach rumbled loudly in the dead silence of the room, efficiently snapping her out of her reverie and shouting requests of things she suddenly craved. It sent her down to the kitchen where she got out a mug, some milk, chocolate mix and marshmallows, and then proceeded in making hot chocolate. It was a crazy idea - and unhealthy for that matter - but it was something her dad always did for her during the winter season if she couldn't sleep. And right now she felt the need to be as close to her parents as she possibly could.

The ding of the microwave sounded a lot louder at 6 AM, Elena realized, as she moved around to mix everything together in her mug. She hoped Jeremy wouldn't wake up before she got a chance to climb back into bed. He had no idea she'd been having trouble sleeping, and she planned on keeping it secret.

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Jeremy grumbled as he went through his usual morning routine: get out of bed, put clothes on, brush teeth, eat if you have time, run out the door, and hurry to school because you're possibly going to be late. He loathed mornings. And school. The two put together was literally Hell. Who would actually enjoy getting up at 6:30 AM so you could be stuck in a prison for six hours? Certainly not him.

He pulled a pair of jeans on, half-tripping, and grabbed a simple white t-shirt off the floor before he made his way down the stairs and to the kitchen. Surprise struck him when he turned the lightswitch on and saw his sister sitting by the island, brown hair fanned out over the counter and arm stretched forward as a makeshift pillow to lay her head on. From the small noises she was making as well, clearly, she was still asleep.

"Elena?" He pulled his shirt over his head and shuffled around to see her face. What looked like chocolate milk was smeared over her upper lip, and a thin white line went from the corner of her mouth and down the side of her cheek. Jeremy laughed. "Elena, wake up." He shoved her slightly and watched her head slip from the support of her arm, effectively jolting her out of her slumber as she hit the counter. "Well good morning sunshine," he said, putting two slices of bread in the toaster. "What're you doing down here?"

Elena sat up slowly, her bones screaming in protest from being in an unnatural position all night, and she rubbed her eyes a few times as she glanced around the lit room. "Uh..." she mumbled, voice heavy with sleep. "I-, I just wanted a snack. Guess I fell asleep before I got a chance to climb back in bed."

Jeremy looked at her as he pulled out some butter and jam from the fridge. "You okay?" he asked.

"Yeah!" she lied easily and put on her best fake smile. "Yeah I'm fine, don't worry."

He continued to stare as the toast popped up, and Elena could see the gears shifting in his mind as he debated whether or not he should believe her. "Alright," he smiled back and quickly spread the butter and jam on his toast. Then he walked around the island to peck his sister's cheek. "You know you should probably hurry up," he told her, shoving the bread in his mouth as he grabbed his bag and headed down the hall towards the front door. "School starts in thirty minutes!"

"What?" Elena's eyes widened in alarm and she frantically jumped off the stool, nearly losing her balance in the midst of the action. A single piece of semi-warm toasted bread was still in the toaster and she grabbed it, thankful that Jeremy wasn't a greedy pig that ate all the food. As she rounded the corner of the island in her rush against time she hit her hip. "Ow!" she hissed, grabbing her side with her hand. The pain made her feel like she had been stabbed with a damn screwdriver.

Stumbling and chewing on dry bread, she made it up to her bedroom; but now the problem was finding clothes to wear. There was the choice of jeans with a blouse, jeans with a baggy sweater, baggy pants with a tight sweater... So many possibilites yet so little time. Without a second glance at her closet she decided to skip getting dressed altogether. Instead she picked up her brush from her dresser and pulled it through her hair before she tied it in a rather clumsy-looking bun. "I guess I'm going to school in my pajamas today." She looked down at herself, sighing. "Perfect."

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"Can you believe Christmas is only five days away? Like, I already know some of the presents I'm getting but I'm still so excited! I'm gonna call Bonnie and ask her to come hang out with us later and then we can discuss plans over the break and-..."

Caroline's bubbly voice drifted to the back of Elena's mind as she sat hunched over in class with her head propped up in her hand and music blasting in her ears. Her brown eyes were half-closed as she pretended to listen to whatever the teacher was babbling on about, and with the gloomy winter weather that darkened the classroom, sleep would soon overcome her. This was only two classes into the day.

"Elena," Caroline whispered, "come on are you sleeping or something?"

She was tapped from behind but she ignored it, instead letting out a sigh that was meant to tell Caroline to back off when she had the chance. A tired and cranky Elena was someone no one needed to deal with. Class ended in forty minutes thankfully, but by the looks of the teacher, Mr. Johnson, he had no intentions to stop talking. She had no idea what he was even going on about. _So what the hell?_ Elena thought and shrugged to herself, turning the music up a notch on her iPod and letting her eyes close for a few seconds. Little did she know those seconds were all she needed to allow sleep to take over.

"Miss Gilbert?" Her name reached her ears through the dreamy haze she was held in, but her head felt too heavy and her eyes were locked shut, making any kind of response nearly impossible. "_Miss Gilbert_." She heard her name once more, this time more stern, and she managed to lift her head off the desk and look towards the front of the room, where a very impatient-looking teacher stood with a frown upon his aging face. "If sleep is your top priority in this class then I suggest you leave," he said, pointing to the door.

Elena glanced at her surroundings and swallowed. She wanted to leave more than anything, but it would raise suspicion from a certain blonde vampire if she simply ran out unexpectedly. "I-I'm fine," she replied meekly and tugged the left earphone from her ear. "I'll stay."

The fifty-something-year-old teacher shot her a glare as a first warning before he continued his discussion about expectations in the New Year. It took nearly the whole class before he shut up and handed out a multiple choice worksheet for students to complete by the time the bell rang. Elena however, did not finish her paper, and was called on to stay behind after class.

Caroline passed her on the way out and told her she'd meet her by her locker when she was done with whatever the teacher wanted. Elena nodded weakly in response and approached Mr. Johnson's desk as the classroom door closed behind her friend. "Can you explain to me why you haven't completed your worksheet?" Mr. Johnson asked. He entwined his fingers in his lap and stared waitingly. "This is strange behavior coming from you. I expected more."

"I um..." The girl barely had enough strength to keep her eyes open, let alone stand and explain why she couldn't finish a stupid paper.

"Miss Gilbert are you feeling okay?"

She knew she was swaying on her feet. Everything felt fuzzy and distant, and her sight was dimmed around the edges. But it was nothing to worry about. At least that's what she was telling herself.

"I'm fine," she said and brushed a few loose strands of hair behind her ear. "Sorry about the paper... I'm just having an off day."

"Hm," the man mumbled, his thumb and index finger pressed to his chin. "You've been having quite a few of those lately." He leaned forward in his chair. "Is there something going on that you'd like to talk about?"

"No." Elena immediately shook her head. Mr. Johnson raised a brow.

"Are you sure about that?"

"Yes. Can I go now?"

He sighed and gestured his hands towards the door. "As you wish."

She went straight for her locker, and as expected Caroline stood there leaning against it with a look of annoyance on her face. "What took you so long?" she demanded, moving out of the way so Elena could open the thin metal door.

"Don't worry about it," Elena said. "Let's just get the rest of the day over with." A glance at her schedule told her she had three more classes before she'd be able to leave.

"Well fine," Caroline grumbled. "Now come on," she held out her arm invitingly, "Bonnie's meeting you in history and then I'll see you both at lunch. Okay?"

The two girls linked arms and walked down the halls towards Mr. Saltzman's classroom. Elena was glad her friend hadn't noticed she'd been leaning on her the whole way for support. At least her vision wasn't so cloudy anymore.

_Survive these last few classes. Go home. Sleep._

It was and had been her plan all month. Going to school and surviving on three hours of sleep tops was becoming increasingly difficult the more days that went by. Even on the weekends she was tired all day, continuously assuring and reassuring everyone she was perfectly fine. Sooner or later they would all notice something was wrong, so this Christmas break was the time to get her shit under control. Thankfully Ric offered to cook dinner tonight so she'd be able to relax for a few hours before they'd eat. After that he usually went to the Grill to see Damon or sat on the couch with Jeremy for the rest of the night drinking scotch or playing X-Box. That would give Elena a free pass to go to bed early.

_Damon._

His name caught her attention suddenly and she wondered if he was home. If he wasn't then maybe she'd be able to sneak in and sleep at the boarding house for a few hours without either of the brothers knowing. Besides... Damon's bed was _really_ comfortable. Perhaps so comfortable that it would help her get more than three hours of sleep. But what if Stefan found her there? He'd call Damon and then questions would be asked. "_Are you okay? Is something wrong? What's going on? Why were you in Damon's bed?_" Or in Damon's case: "_What were you doing in my bed? Were you dreaming about me, or maybe waiting for me? My, my, Elena I thought I'd never see the day._"

She could already see that hundred-dollar smirk coming.

"Elena?"

Bonnie was poking her arm with a pencil and Elena felt the urge to snatch it from her hand and snap it in half. "What is it Bonnie?" she asked, irritated.

"I asked you if you've figured question eleven out."

Elena looked down at her desk. An open book and a blank paper stared back. "No. I haven't," she answered curtly.

"Oh," Bonnie said. "Okay. Well hey, I gotta leave early for an appointment at the dentist. See you later, alright?" She smiled as she gathered her things and shuffled to the front of the room, handing a note to Alaric before she waved one last time on her way out.

_Two more classes_, Elena reminded herself. _Two more and then you're free._

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Heavy snow drifted down to the streets of Mystic Falls, covering the previously fallen flakes in a new white sheet. The temperature had dropped a whole fifteen degrees since morning and weather reports warned to stay inside, for extended exposure to the cold could result in frost bite or hypothermia. Damon Salvatore couldn't care less what the freaking news said. He was a vampire after all, and the cold didn't exactly affect him as it would a human. He had nothing better to do anyway, he'd already been to the Grill, so what was the harm in going for a nice afternoon walk? He planned to meet dear Elena after school as a surprise, and ask her what sort of plans she had for break. Maybe setting up a Christmas dinner with everyone? Damon hadn't been to a real one in decades.

He wandered around in his leather jacket and dark-wash jeans, along with the usual button-down shirt. And for once he had nothing on his mind. He was simply enjoying his surroundings, taking in the way the trees glistened even in the ugly gray weather and the ground looked crystalline. His ears perked up as he crouched and drew a face in the snow. Kids from the highschool shouted and laughed, some of them gathering snow so they could throw it at their friends and then shriek and yell when they were thrown back at. But the only person he was really focused on was Elena. He rocognized her heartbeat in seconds; it was strangely slower. Odd.

He was at the school before she even got ten steps out the door and he leaned himself against the cool metal of her car with his arms crossed over his chiseled chest. Glacier-blue eyes watched her intently as she trudged through the snow and fumbled for her car keys, huffing in annoyance when she dropped them and growled when she couldn't pick them up through her knitted mittens.

He nearly laughed at what she was wearing though: white and pink striped pants, black boots, a long black coat, a matching set of white mittens and a beanie. She looked kind of... cute.

"Having some trouble there?" he called out to her, his trademark smirk painted across his forever-young face. He expected her to look up at him with a scowl in her eyes and push him aside so she could toss him a few insults about his obsession with her, and then drive away leaving him bewildered yet incredibly aroused. Puzzlement crossed his features when she didn't respond at all to him; only ignored his presence completely before she yanked off her left mitten to bend down and grab her keys from the snow. "Elena?" he said her name again, this time softer.

"Finally," she muttered under her breath when she got a hold of the slippery keys. Today was Friday. School was over for two whole weeks. She could do whatever the hell she wanted. A momentary thought made her wonder how everyone would react if she took off out of nowhere without a soul knowing about it. It appealed to her that she could have time to herself and clear her mind without someone constantly up her ass asking if she was okay. Honestly she was just as confused about her inability to sleep peacefully as anyone else would be.

A hand suddenly laid itself upon her shoulder and she yelped, stumbling back a few steps and slipping unceremoniously on a patch of ice. It sent her falling backwards with her arms flailing in the air, but of course Damon caught her around the waist at the last second and held her up.

"Jeez Elena, are you trying to get a concussion?"

She looked up to the face of her savior, her breath catching in her throat when she was met with those sparkling blue eyes she had been thinking about earlier. She felt but couldn't hear the low rumbles of his voice over the loud music in her ears. He gazed upon her with concern in his eyes, set ablaze almost startlingly. When she was set back on her feet she pulled out her earphones and shoved them in her bag, sniffling as her nose began running. "Hey," she said.

"_Hey_?" he repeated, his eyebrows shooting up to his forehead. "Are you okay?"

She scoffed and yet smiled, answering yet again the same question she'd been asked numerous times already. "I'm fine Damon. Don't worry about it." Her hand shook as she reached to place her key in the car door lock and Damon stepped forward, placing his hand over hers.

"Come on..." he said softly. "Are you sure everything's fine? You look tired as hell." Being this close to her made him realize just how _tired_ she really did look. Her face seemed thinner and her eyes didn't have the usual spark of life, and the dark circles that hung beneath them brought a sense of alarm to Damon's mind.

Elena's laugh snapped him back to their conversation and he leaned closer, smiling when he could hear her pulse quicken as she became aware of just how close he was getting. "I'm fine," she breathed, her eyes dancing between his lips and baby blues.

"Well be careful," he told her. "And go home. It's cold out here and I don't want my little human to get sick before Christmas."

"I'm not your little human," she shot back with an eye-roll and shook his hand off. He watched as she unlocked the car and opened the door, his lips twitching in amusement when she didn't get in, only stood there with a hand on her hip while she bit her lip in a rather inviting way.

"You certainly act like it," Damon muttered, his eyes darting different directions in feigned innocence.

Elena whipped her head around and opened her mouth just as her vision went blurry and her head started throbbing. Her subconscience yelled at her to tell Damon she couldn't sleep at night but she didn't listen. What could he do? Sing her a lullaby? Even if she actually fell asleep she'd still wake up three or four hours later if she was lucky. "I need to go," she stated simply, slowly folding herself into her car. She seriously wondered if she'd even be able to drive. Her eyelids felt so heavy it was like attaching and detaching a velcro jacket every time she blinked.

"Scoot over and I'll drive," Damon offered with a smile. "I walked-, well sped here anyway so it's no big deal. Plus I'm a way better driver."

"Hey!"

"Honey I've been around a lot longer than you, I _know_ how to drive in all weather conditions." He knew he won her over. She set her lips in a tight line and climbed over the center console of the car to the passenger's seat, then crossed her arms in light irritation.

He didn't miss the amusement in her eyes.

"Are you getting in or what?" she asked, letting the corner of her mouth curl in a smirk.

Damon chuckled, replying in an exaggerated high-pitched voice, "Coming, dear!"

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When they reached the Gilbert residence, Elena thanked Damon briskly and hurried to get inside. She barely managed to stay awake on the way there. Her mind was a one-word track chanting "bed" over and over again, louder each step she took. That wonderful, soft, heavenly escape from reality was just up the stairs. And she had the whole afternoon to bask in it. The thought of it was so distracting she was tripping over her own two feet trying to get her soggy boots off, and the moment she finally walked into her bedroom it was like she was seeing a million dollars lying on those covers. Two strides and Elena was across the room, leaping at the bed like her life depended on it. She landed with a satisfying "hmph", and she closed her eyes gratefully, a very genuine smile flitting across her face.

For a minute or two she was floating on a cloud, the air calm as it wrapped itself around her in a warm blanket. And then suddenly she was falling. The rush sent her limbs flying as she jolted up from the bed in a gasp, her brown eyes wide and terrified as they darted around the room to make sure she was safe and on solid ground. A hand flew up to her chest as she took a deep breath through her nose and exhaled shakily through her mouth, feeling her heartbeat pound in every part of her body as it threatened to break free from its confinement.

A noise startled her from the window and her head snapped sideways, finding a pair of green eyes staring back at her. Something tingled and sank low to the pit of her stomach at that moment and it raced through her thoughts that this feeling was maybe... disappointment. Possibly because the man outside her window wasn't the person she expected. He wasn't the man she wanted.

She and Stefan were together, but it didn't _feel_ like they were. She saw him every day at school and they hung out all the time, but they hadn't been together in _that_ way for months. In fact they barely kissed anymore.

He knocked on the window to catch her attention once more before she crawled off the bed and scampered over to let him in.

"Hey Stefan," she greeted. As soon as he stepped foot in her room she returned to her bed and sat down cross-legged.

"Hey, are you okay?" He followed her and sat beside her, his hand landing on her thigh to give it a gentle squeeze. "I didn't even get a chance to talk to you before you were speeding home."

"I'm fine Stefan. Don't worry so much."

"Are you sure? I mean you look-"

"I said I'm fine!" she snapped. A flash of hurt crossed Stefan's face and he looked to her hands, his worry for her increasing when he caught how shaky they were as she fiddled with her thumbs.

"Elena," he began, reaching forward to hold her hands in his own, "I know you're not. Tell me what's wrong. Please."

"I'm perfectly okay, Stefan," she lied. "Seriously, just... leave me alone for a while, alright? I don't want to talk about it."

"You mean you don't want to talk to _me_, right? You'd rather have Damon here comforting you." He was smiling but Elena knew deep down what he was saying was true. The way she felt when Damon entered the room or when he was close to her, and how much more _closer_ she really wanted to be with him... It screamed that one word she never thought she'd feel towards the blue-eyed bad boy. But she couldn't admit it to herself.

_Not yet._

"Stefan, please." Her eyes begged him to let it go as he stood up and paced the room.

"Look, I know you and him have gotten... _closer_ these past few months..." He stopped and turned to face her again. "But I mean, what's changed between us?"

"Everything," she admitted, getting off the bed to approach the frustrated vampire. She froze when he suddenly moved behind her and curved his nose between her shoulder and neck, but relaxed slightly when he wrapped his arms around her waist.

"What is it about my brother that seems to draw everyone in...?" It was a question that Elena hardly had the answer to.

"I don't know Stefan." She couldn't even begin to list all the things that kept pulling her in. "But..." she turned in his arms and placed her hands on his shoulders, "we do need to talk. Just not now."

"Okay," he sighed. "Tomorrow?"

"Sounds good," Elena smiled. She walked him down to the front door and waited until he was out of sight before going back up to her room to grab her diary. A soft breeze blew through the opening of her window as she seated herself and began to write.

_Dear Diary,_

_Yet another day has passed and nothing's changed. I'm still tired as hell, barely getting through school, and now Stefan's on my case. I know he means well, but honestly I'm so frustrated with everything; I'm surprised I haven't snapped completely. Thank God I'm on break for the next two weeks._

_Damon came by the school today when I was on my way home. Me being me, I was a total klutz and nearly fell on my ass, so he had to swoop in and save me... _

_I don't know how much longer I can hide my attraction to him. He can be such a jerk and yet when he's around I find myself nearly drooling over him and daydreaming about having his hands all over me and his perfect mouth moving against mine... _

_Dear God it's happening again. I gotta stop this before I fall completely out of character._

_Ric's coming over tonight to have dinner with Jer and I. That means I can sneak upstairs after we eat and attempt to get some sleep tonight. Hopefully I'll get four to five hours this time. I can't take much more of this. _

_My brain just doesn't want to shut up. I feel like every time I close my eyes I'm suffocated by the fact that my parents can't be here to celebrate the holidays. Even Jenna. My family no longer feels like a family. And it's my fault._

_Nothing puts me to sleep. Nothing keeps me asleep. I'm slipping through my own fingers and there's nothing I can do about it._

A buzz of her cellphone made her jump and she reluctantly left her comfort by the window to grab the device on her nightstand. It was a message from Jeremy.

'_With Matt. Be home in time for dinner._'

Before she even had the chance to reply, her phone vibrated once more, signaling another message had been received. This time from Caroline.

'_Sleep here tonight? Bonnie's coming._'

Elena almost groaned in annoyance. No way was she going to go over there and listen to them chatter about plans and other crap. She wanted sleep. By herself.

She sent back an "okay" to Jeremy before typing out a short response to Caroline.

'_Can't. Staying in tonight. Not feeling so well._'

Within seconds she had a reply.

'_Are you ditching us for your bed again?_'

Reading it made Elena laugh. Her cheerful friend could be quite a nuisance at some points but she definitely knew her well. Elena replied by telling her she'd make up for it, before shutting off her phone and throwing it on the bed. Then she rifled through her bag to find her iPod and plugged it in the dock, picking a song and cranking it high. She had the whole house to herself until Alaric or Jeremy came home, she might as well entertain herself. If she couldn't sleep, why not dance?

_If this room was burnin'  
__I wouldn't even notice  
__'Cause you've been taking up my mind  
__With your, little white lies, little white lies_

She stood in the middle of the room, her energy beginning to spike. Thoughts of Damon swirled in her mind and she couldn't help but fantasize how she'd dance in front of him if she knew he was watching. The song strangely reminded her of him.

_You say it's getting late, it's getting late  
__And you don't know if you can stay, if you can stay  
__But you, you don't tell the truth  
__No you, you like playing games_

At first her movements were soft, precise. She stripped a piece of clothing every few steps and her hands tugged at her hair, letting it fall loose from the bun she had it pinned up in all day. A shake of her head had the long locks tumbling over her shoulders in waves of chocolate-brown.

_Your hand's touching me, they're touching me  
__And your eyes keep saying things  
__They're saying what we do  
__When it's only me and you  
__I can't concentrate_

_That's all I'm thinking about  
__All I keep thinking about  
__Everything else just fades away_

The lyrics sent butterflies to Elena's stomach. Yes, she could definitely relate to that. Although she'd never been that... _intimate_ with Damon, every touch ignited her.

_If this room was burnin'  
__I wouldn't even notice  
__'Cause you've been taking up my mind  
__With your, little white lies, little white lies_

She pressed her back against the walls and furniture, her breath coming out in puffs of hot air as she arched her back and fisted her fingers in her hair, rolling her head around in the feeling of pure ecstasy as she lost herself in the music. She wasn't hiding herself. Her pajama pants were pulled off and thrown on her bed, along with her top and socks; which left her in only a pair of lacy black underwear and a bra.

_You say you're a good girl  
__But I know you would girl  
__'Cause you've been telling me all night  
__With your, little white lies, little white lies  
__With your, little white lies, little white lies_

Her eyes twisted shut as she twirled her hips, imagining a certain someone dancing behind her, hands traveling to her midsection and moving over her olive-tanned skin. She could see the piercing blue orbs absorbing her every move and she turned, running her nails up around her neck and down between her breasts. A gasp escaped her lips when she opened her eyes to a spinning room, everything suddenly unfocused and blurry. She stilled and tried to balance in an attempt to calm the pounding on her temples and keep herself from falling unconscious; but everything was so overwhelming, as the blasting music crowded her senses. Swaying between one foot and the other, she pulled in two short breaths before she dropped to her knees and everything went black.

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Stefan mused to himself silently as he crept through the woods, his ears straining to listen for a hunt. He should've noticed earlier that Elena was no longer interested in being with him. She was constantly distracted, and she barely made an effort to spend time together anymore. At first he thought she just going through something and wanted to be alone for a while, so he backed off. But the longer he waited, the more she seemed to drift from him. How could he have been oblivious to the signs that she was in love with his elder brother instead?

He stilled. Leaves rustled in the distance. His nose picked up a scent, his ears reveling in the sound of an animal's blood pumping through its veins, completely unaware of the chase it was currently in. Then Stefan took off, his senses leading him directly to a lone deer, grazing a small grass field, the bold black eyes trained on the little patch of flowers just a few steps from its nose. The vampire watched, waited, for that moment when the deer was most vulnerable. It moved closer to the flowers, its head dipping lower, lower...

Stefan pounced, his elongated fangs piercing the furry skin, as every pull of its blood sent a charge through his body. The deer squirmed under the tight hold, but with a quick snap of the neck, it fell dead, helpless to the hungry and frustrated vampire. When Stefan was finished, he laid the deer by a tree, somehow still feeling guilt that he killed another innocent being. Sure it was an animal, but he normally left them in a state of being on the fine line of life and death, not draining them entirely.

As Stefan made his way to the boarding house, he wondered if maybe his conflictions with his and Elena's situation was what pushed his hunger further.

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She woke up cold, still lying in the middle of her bedroom floor. It was dark, the only sound being the wind that whipped through her open window. Her head wasn't pounding as much as it had earlier, but the fuzzy feeling lingered. _Hm_. Elena inwardly shrugged. At least she got some "sleep". How long was she out? The question circled her mind as she got up on her feet, balancing herself for a few moments before grabbing a pair of sweats and a sweater to pull over her bare skin. The numbers on her clock displayed 4:45 PM, which led her to open her bedroom door and listen for her brother and Alaric. The lights were on in the hallway, the TV on low volume in the living room, laughter heard from the kitchen. The sound made Elena smile. Yes, they were home alright.

"Good evening, Miss Gilbert," Alaric greeted Elena as she entered the kitchen to put the coffee on. He stood by the island chopping peppers and onions for dinner.

"Hey." She moved to sit by the table. "What're we having?"

"Well," he turned to stir something in a pot on the stove, "I got some pasta going here, and then I'm making ground beef with chopped peppers and onions with tomato sauce." He grinned proudly.

"Ooh," Elena smiled. "Sounds _fancy_. Where'd you learn to do that?" she asked with a smirk.

"Hey just because I'm not a great cook, doesn't mean I'm completely incapable of making anything at all. Really this isn't that hard to do."

"Sure Ric," she giggled. "So where have you been? I know you stay at the school longer than students, but this time was longer than usual." She tilted her head to one side in question. "Were you with Damon?"

"Yeah I was," he sighed as he finished cutting a red pepper and started on an onion. "I went to the boarding house to 'hang out' for a while." He paused his actions momentarily to use his fingers for air quotes.

"Hang out?" Her brow arched. "By that you mean, drink bourbon and complain about how much you hate teenagers?"

Alaric laughed, sliding the cut-up peppers off the cutting board into the pan on the stove, blending it smoothly with the ground beef and sauce. "That, and just being a friend. You do realize he spends most of his days sulking alone in that gigantic mansion, don't you?"

"Oh Ric, like you do anything better with your spare time."

Elena flinched in her chair and whipped her head around, the new voice catching her off guard. She stared almost longingly at the one and only Damon Salvatore as he strolled into her kitchen like he owned the place, looking just as handsome in his leather jacket as he did earlier and every other time she'd ever seen him. He cast a wink to her when he felt her eyes on him, and she looked away embarrassingly, her cheeks flushing a bright pink. Damon walked up to Ric and gave him a pat on the back; laughing when the teacher shoved him for sticking his finger in the food to taste.

"Not bad," Damon commented with a smirk. "Not bad at all." His eyes glanced towards Elena when he once again caught her staring. "You know," he spoke up, moving gracefully around the room to sit next to the brunette, "you're awfully quiet."

"How observant of you," Elena grumbled. "Isn't that a good thing?"

"It is for me!" Jeremy hollered from the living room, his eyes glued to the TV screen as he played on his X-Box. "Means less complaining and more peace and quiet!"

"Very funny Jer." Elena rolled her eyes but smiled softly upon hearing her brother's laugh.

"Seriously though." Damon reached over and grabbed her hand, noting the immediate race of her heart when he touched her. "Are you okay?"

She swallowed under his gaze, her fingers on the hand Damon _wasn't_ holding fidgeting slightly. "I'm fine," she said somewhat firmly. "I told you that earlier."

"Earlier?" Alaric chimed in back by the sink as he drained the water from the pasta.

"Yeah I went by the school." Damon smirked. "Watched her fumble with keys and curse at the world."

Elena scowled and narrowed her eyes at him.

"So that's why you suddenly seemed all, I'm-concerned-for-Elena's-health when I came by earler?" Alaric asked as he chuckled lightly. "I'm sure if something was wrong, she'd tell you Damon," he said. "You know you're always the first she goes to."

And then it was dead silent. You could hear a pin drop, with the exception of the TV in the other room. Damon sat there looking dumbfounded. Elena was absolutely mortified. Jeremy sat on the couch chuckling to himself because he knew that's exactly how they were going to react if someone ever said that out loud. Suddenly Damon and Elena were painfully aware they were still holding hands, and the raven-haired vampire pulled his away, clearing his throat in the incredibly awkward tension that floated around the room.

"So um," Elena broke the silence, swallowing once more in habit of being nervous, "what's Stefan up to?"

And just like that, the tension dropped to a much more tense level and Damon's demeanor switched from the sweet guy to the normal, sarcastic, arrogant attitude.

"Oh not much," he replied, "he came home, said he was going out for a while. Probably hunting for Bambi and the gang." He shrugged. "Why, was he here?"

Damon could see her brain going through the contemplation of telling him something or keeping it to herself. He was glad when she decided to open up. "Yeah he was," she sighed. "He just asked me the same as you, wondering if I was okay."

"And what did you reply?"

Her eyes darted to his, unsure whether or not he was being sincere or just asking out of mere curiosity. She repeated the two words she'd been saying all day for what felt like the hundredth time. "I'm fine."

Damon leaned forward, his warm breath tickling the skin by Elena's throat as he spoke so low that only she could hear. "Are you sure about that?"

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Elena let out a breath under the spray of the shower, tense muscles relaxing in the warmth and soothing her nerves. Dinner was surprisingly not as awkward as she thought it would've been. The silence between the four people eating was comfortable to an extent, before someone cleared their throat in that obvious way they wanted someone to start a conversation. But they all kept silent, because they knew most conversations with Damon and Elena in the same room would end up being about their "relationship", or one of them storming off because the other said something stupid.

A knock at the door jumped Elena back to reality. "You okay in there?" the all-too-familiar voice asked. _Damon._ "You've been in there for over half an hour," he said.

_What?_

Had she really been standing in the shower doing nothing but thinking for almost an hour? Jeez.

"I'm coming in."

Before Elena could process his words or even react to them, she heard the doorknob twist and felt the vague gust of cool air move throughout the room as he slipped inside and closed the door behind him. Dammit why hadn't she locked it? There was a curtain that shielded her from his steel-blue eyes, but she felt impossibly vulnerable.

She kept quiet, still standing under the soon-to-be cold water as she tried to keep herself busy. After all, she was in the shower. Anticipation gnawed at her very core as she lathered her hands with shampoo and started working it into her hair; waiting, wondering what Damon was going to say. When it came to him, she could never really see what was coming.

"So," he once again seeped through her train of thoughts, "did you enjoy dinner?"

That stopped her in her tracks, and she had to refrain from laughing out loud. Really? He was asking if she liked dinner? "Yeah," she finally answered. "I did." She smiled to herself. "Did you?"

She heard his low chuckle, the sound sending a wave of tingles up her arms and legs, making her shiver.

"I did enjoy it," he replied, half-sarcastically. "It was great listening to how much Little Gilbert wants a new game for his damn X-Box."

This time she did release a laugh, and it was one of those that forced her to bend over and put her hands on her knees just to keep herself standing upright. Man, she was really tired.

Elena could practically feel Damon draw nearer, his hand barely hovering over the flimsy plastic curtain that stood between them. He wanted to yank the damn thing off. Or get in there and join her. Either-or worked. "You sound like you're wheezing in there Elena." Damon's brows furrowed with concern. "Come on, you're getting out now."

"What? No!"

"Get out," he warned, "before I come in there myself and hoist you over my shoulder all naked and soaking wet." He heard her light gasp, the way her heart sped up just a little at the imagery of him tearing back the curtain to see her all glistening and shy with waterdroplets running down her body...

"Damon I'm not getting out with you in here."

He smirked. _Still as stubborn as ever I see._

Quickly and steadily, the vampire snatched the towel Elena had laid out on the counter and unfolded it before pulling aside the shower curtain. Doe eyes bulged wide with shock upon seeing him but before she could utter a single word he had wrapped her in the warm cottony material and lifted her out of the tub, placing her directly in front of him. For a minute they just stared at each other. Elena was surprised, embarrassed, and most importantly pissed off, because she swore she saw a smirk on those lips of his the second he laid eyes on her naked body. He had no right to invade her privacy.

"I didn't see anything... _private_, if that's what you're thinking." It was like he was reading her thoughts as he waggled his eyebrows suggestively.

Elena scowled, her hand coming up to smack him on the chest. "What the hell, Damon!" Strangely she wasn't even that mad but she kept the act up anyway. "You can't just barge in here like that and take me out of my own shower!"

"It sounded like you were half-dying in there anyway! Plus you've been in there for almost an hour. I mean come on, what were you doing the whole time? Coming up with ideas for fanfiction?" he joked.

_Good cover story_, Elena thought to herself. She should use that in the future. "No," she told him, crossing her arms so the towel wouldn't loosen. "I just had a lot on my mind. I don't get it Damon," she expressed with exasperation. "You're on my case, Stefan's on my case... Everyone's constantly up my ass! I am _fine_! How many times do I have to say it before you back off?" Her eyes were glossy and she was trembling, willing herself to keep from falling apart in front of Damon. She wouldn't show him she was weak; he couldn't know anything. She was always in trouble, there was always a problem with her. Didn't he ever get tired of taking care of her? She was sure he was. He had to be.

Damon glared down at the shaking girl, his mouth set in a grim line as he tried to figure out what the hell was bothering her so much. Why was she acting like this? She was so jumpy and she looked like she hadn't slept in years. Was it Stefan? "You can say it all you want but your face is evident enough that it isn't true. Elena," he placed his hands on her forearms gently, "whatever's going on... you can tell me."

"I can't," she whispered. "I _can't_ deal with this right now, Damon. Please just... go."

He sighed and forced himself to hold together what little control he had left. God she was so stubborn. "Fine," he muttered. "But whenever you want to talk, I'm here. Got it?" He pointed a finger in her face to show her he was dead-serious.

Despite the fact that they were arguing in a steamy bathroom and Elena was only in a towel, she giggled at him. And the look on his face was priceless. "Got it," she told him quietly and smiled.

That smirk she learned to love so much appeared across the man's face again as he moved around her and opened the door, heading straight for the window on the other side of her bedroom.

"Aren't you going to say goodbye to Ric or anything?" she asked him, leaning on the doorframe with her towel clutched in one hand.

"Already did." He winked at her briefly, and then disappeared. If he hadn't stayed outside her window for a few moments longer, he would've missed the soft words she spoke as she went back in the bathroom to get dressed.

"Thank you."

xxxxxxxxxx

"Knock knock." Damon walked in the boarding house to find Stefan sitting by the fire, brooding like he always did. "Why so glum?" he asked, heading straight for the alcohol.

"Nothing," was Stefan's reply.

"Oh come on, you know I don't believe you when you sound like _that_." Damon threw back a glass of his favourite bourbon, pouring another one then after. "You look more miserable than usual," he commented as he looked down at Stefan's face. "And that probably has something to do with Elena, or maybe the way she's been acting lately. Correct?"

Stefan suddenly perked upon the mention of his girlfriend. "You've talked to her?" he asked, sounding desperate almost.

"Yeah, jeez, it's not like she's been missing for months. You can talk to her too." Damon plopped down beside his baby brother. "Why do you ask?"

"I was over there earlier and she didn't want to open up to me at all." Stefan sighed and raked his hand through his hair, "Something's up and it's killing me that I don't know what it is."

"Maybe the problem is you?"

"Not funny."

"Sorry, sorry." Damon held his hands up in mock-surrender. "Just saying, your brooding can get a little depressing. Maybe she just wants some time to herself."

"Can you be serious for even a minute?"

"What?" he questioned. "You know it's true. What were you doing this whole time you've been home?"

"Nothing," Stefan uttered.

"Exactly! Nothing. That equals brooding." Damon stood from the couch and started towards his bedroom. "Look, just leave her be for a few days. You have two whole weeks to catch up and talk about whatever it is you lovebirds talk about." He smiled, "Now if you'll excuse me, I will be up in my room for the rest of the night. If you hear weird noises, run 'cause it won't be me."

Stefan laughed softly to himself as he was left alone with his thoughts once again. Maybe he should take Damon's advice. _Wait a minute there. This is Damon we're talking about_, his subconscious reminded him. Yes, his brother didn't exactly have the best track record when it came to advice, but he usually knew what he was talking about. Right?

Yeah, this time Stefan decided to listen. He'd wait until Elena came to him to talk, not force her. He just hoped she'd tell him soon.

The copper-haired vampire headed to his own bedroom and closed the door, leaving the remainder of the mansion quiet and dark, the only source of life being the flames that burned wildly in the fireplace.

xxxxxxxxxx

_Okay Elena, sleep. It's simple. You close your eyes and relax. Got it? Good now do it._

She laid in her bed in complete darkness, the wind blowing viciously outside her window. She was hoping that somehow she'd miraculously get over her damn sleep problems and just fall unconscious until the morning. But every night it was the same thing: fall asleep, have nightmares about the deaths of her loved ones, wake up. It was a process Elena was beginning to get accustomed to. But this time she didn't fall asleep at all. She'd been up all night.

She sat up in her bed, hands finding her phone on the nightstand as she unlocked the screen and went through her contacts. She didn't want to talk to the girls. They'd pry and pry until she finally cracked and she couldn't deal with that. It was just too frustrating. Maybe she could talk to Alaric... No. She'd already put him through enough. She wouldn't pile this on him; especially the mention of Jenna. It's too painful. Jeremy was asleep in the room next-door. But he was her younger brother, she couldn't just walk in there and spill everything. What kind of a sister brings up everything painful in her life to her little brother? He experienced it too. She couldn't tell him. No one could know. It was something everyone had gotten past and they didn't need some annoying teenage girl to dig it all up again. She'd suffer in silence until it passed through her system.

But Christmas was in four days; her friends would want to get together. How would she act around them? Surely they'd all notice she looked different. Half of them already mentioned her being tired. Pfft. What an understatement.

Elena didn't realize she was staring at Damon's name until the phone's screen dimmed, notifying her that she hadn't touched it in over a few minutes. She glanced around the room once before tapping his name, almost as if she were a child doing something naughty and trying not to get caught. When the phone didn't respond right away she tapped twice, a jolt of panic shooting through her when the phone started dialing his number. Unfortunately for her, Damon was a speedy answerer, even more so when it was Elena that was calling.

"_You do realize it's almost 4 AM, right?_"

Elena couldn't even muster any words to respond with. How did one tell another that you accidentally called them at 3:45 AM but didn't mean to, you just wanted to stare at their name on your phone?

"_Elena? You there?_"

"Uh- um, hey." She ran her fingers through her hair and swallowed nervously. Why was she so nervous?

There was silence on the other end for a few moments, and Elena had to look at the screen to check if the call was still on-going.

"_You okay?_" Damon asked after a while, his voice soft and comforting. It was like she could hear the love.

Tears welled up in her eyes as she tried to keep her voice in control. "Yeah, I just um... I-... You know what? Don't even worry about it. I'm sorry for bothering you."

"_Wait, Elena-_"

She hung up before he had a chance to finish his sentence. If he'd said anything more she would've asked him to come over. Lately Damon was her rock. Although she had Stefan - hell he was her boyfriend - Damon was always the one she wanted to talk to. There was just something about him that kept her grounded and made her feel safe and like everything was okay.

Her phone buzzed in her hand, Damon's name flashing across the screen. She swiped the line at the bottom with her finger to answer and placed the phone by her ear.

"_What the hell was that? You expect me to believe you're alright when you hang up on me?_" He was pissed. Great.

"Sorry!" she said. "I don't know why I did that." _Talking to you makes me want to run to your arms and never let you go._

"_Just tell me you're okay_," he sighed."_I know you're not but hearing you say it will keep me sane for the night without going over there uninvtited._"

"I'm fine Damon." Elena smiled even though he couldn't see it. "Just go back to sleep, I'll talk to you in the morning."

"_Night, 'Lena._" She could practically hear his smirk.

"Goodnight Damon."

Two hours passed since that conversation. Not a single blink of sleep was received, and it was really starting to piss Elena off. Christmas break was supposed to start with over-sleeping and lazy days in bed where all you did was eat and watch TV or do whatever you want and have fun. Not restless nights and exhausting mornings. This was just not right.

"Know what? Screw it."

Elena jumped out of bed and went through her closet, pulling out a thick sweater and sweatpants that normally she'd never let anyone see. But she didn't care - they were comfortable. She just wanted to get out of the house and go somewhere.

She quietly slipped down the stairs and out the door, grabbing her keys along the way. When she pulled out of the driveway and turned the corner in the direction of her intended destination, she let out a sigh.

"I'm coming over, Damon."

xxxxxxxxxx

The boarding house looked just as intimidating if not more in the pitch-black darkness that enveloped the air. The snow was crisp and thick as Elena stalked to the large wooden door and slowly slipped inside, where she was immediately met with the warmth that still mingled in the fireplace, a few lone embers floating to the air that gradually fell black and dropped back down.

The long hallway that led to Stefan's and Damon's rooms felt longer than she remembered. The carpeted floor felt soft against her bare feet as she crept alongside the wall, her fingers gliding over the surface to feel her surroundings. She slowed her movements when she approached Stefan's door; her mind telling her to go in and stay with him, but her heart carrying her further down the hallway. And soon she found herself standing outside Damon's bedroom door. From what her eyes could take in, the room was lit dimly, flickers of orange crawling over the walls. Upon peeking her head through the opening of his door, Elena was mesmerized. A candle stood by Damon's nightstand, an open book lying on the floor. Damon lay on his side, shirtless to Elena's benefit, his back facing the doorway as his muscles rippled underneath his skin with every breath he took. He was beautiful.

The brunette padded across the room, careful not to bump into anything or trip over her own feet. If Damon woke up now, she'd be screwed. How could she explain being in her boyfriend's brother's room at nearly six o'clock in the morning? Not believably.

When Elena neared Damon's side of the bed to blow out the candle, she stopped for a few moments and took the opportunity to actually get a good look at him. She smiled, almost giggling like a giddy school girl at the fact that she was even in the room. She'd never admit it out loud but she loved his bed, and his room for that matter. It was just so... Damon.

When complete darkness swallowed the room, that was when Elena became nervous. Her feet became clammy, and she flinched every time she heard the sticky sound they made with each step against the floor. Ugh, why did Damon have to have _wooden_ floors?

Three steps. Two steps. One step. She hovered over the bed now, her eyes just barely able to make out Damon's handsome face in the dark. Pulling back the covers, Elena yanked off her sweater and tossed it on the floor, leaving her in her sweatpants and a tank top as she slowly, _very_ slowly slid under them and rolled over to her side so she faced Damon. When he didn't stir at all, she decided to move closer. Now she could feel his body heat.

_This is intense._

Elena gulped. She was afraid she'd wake him with her rapidly beating heart; jeez she'd never been _this_ close to him before. It was scary and yet so exciting.

She hoped maybe being with Damon would help her sleep. Just for a few hours. So she slid just a bit closer to him, keeping her breathing calm as she tucked her head underneath his and curled her arms between them. Her fingers were so close to him, but she fought the urge to reach out and touch him. Instead, she leaned forward, her lips brushing softly against his smooth skin. When he fidgeted slightly underneath her touch she gasped and jumped back, thinking she was busted. Luckily though, he simply breathed out contently and continued his peaceful slumber.

"Goodnight Damon."

Was that a smile on his face?

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**A/N: Okay, so this chapter is incredibly long. xD Probably longer than I've ever written before. **

**Song used in chapter: **_**Little White Lies**_** by **_**One Direction**_**. I'm obsessed with their new album so there might be a few songs in future chapters. **

**Hope you like it. I know it's really late to be posting Christmas stories but just bear with me here people. **

**Love you all! xx**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Hey guys. (: I'm glad people liked the first chapter. Don't forget to review! And I'm so sorry for posting so late. I am **_**horrible**_** with time and deadlines, haha. Plus school's been pretty stressful. So I hope everyone else is doing okay! **

**I actually just wanted to clarify (if any of you were wondering), that this story doesn't really follow a specific season. I'd say it takes place somewhere in season three, except Stefan is there, Klaus hasn't showed his face in a while and Jenna's gone but Ric's there. Let's just imagine that this would be Christmas time in the TVD world, even though it's way past the holidays now. ;) **

**To "Guest" Jessjunky: Thank you, I'll try my best with every update! :) **

**Disclaimer: **_**The Vampire Diaries **_**belongs to the CW and L.J. Smith. I do not own any of the characters mentioned. **

**xxxxxxxxxx**

Chapter 2:

_Saturday, December 21_

"What the hell do you mean you just '_found her there_'? My girlfriend is lying in your bed and not mine, there's something seriously wrong with this picture."

"Would you calm down? Your forehead doesn't need anymore frown-lines, there's probably a good explanation for this."

"And what explanation would that be?"

"She mistook my room for yours?"

"Oh come on, she was practically right on top of you. I think she knew perfectly well where she was."

Elena's brown eyes fluttered open in the fuzzy warmth of the sunlight, voices outside the room catching her attention through the lifting state of unconsciousness. The room was too bright for her eyes to fully take in as she squinted and checked her surroundings, momentarily confused when she found herself in someone else's bedroom. When the memories flooded back in she shot up, panic settling in her chest.

"Crap," she whispered. Oh, she was so busted. She wasn't supposed to sleep this long. She thought she'd wake up and sneak back home again within a couple of hours, not sleep in and have people discussing her presence in the wrong bed.

_At least you slept,_ she reminded herself and internally patted her back.

Her long hair whipped around her face as she swung herself off the bed and picked up her balled sweater from the floor, cautious of the fact that either of the brothers could walk in at any moment. She was definitely wide awake now. Thank God she'd kept her pants on! Who knew how much hair Stefan would've ripped out if he'd found her in only a tank top and panties!

"Let me talk to her. I doubt she wants to see you first."

Shit. Shit. Shit. Damon was coming.

She felt desperate for somewhere to hide, wishing the floor would give out and she'd be sent to a random place where she wouldn't be found. Last night it had seemed like the best idea she'd ever come up with to go over to the boarding house and sleep in Damon's bed for a cuddle, but now... She couldn't bear to imagine the looks she'd be receiving from Stefan. Not to mention that sly smirk of Damon's.

_Speak of the devil... _

Damon strode in then, cutting off any thoughts swirling her mind as he wore his usual black attire - a t-shirt and jeans that clung to his body in all the right ways. His azure gaze darted directly to the empty and tousled sheets, and he smirked; from first glance it looked like there'd recently been people doing the dance with no pants on in it.

"Elena," he greeted her, the name rolling off his tongue in such a way it made the hairs on Elena's neck stand in attention. His eyes landed on hers in that instant as he made his way over to her figure in the middle of the room, stopping when the distance between them stood at a minimum.

"So..." His eyes did a once-over on the girl in front of him, noticing with pleasure that she didn't have a bra on. "Care to explain what you're doing here?" he asked.

Elena's mind blanked and she subconsciously raised her arms to cover her chest. "Um..." she mumbled. "Sorry."

"What's there to be sorry for?" Damon's smirk grew wider.

She knew what he was doing. He was trying to get her to admit she came to "sleep" with him. "I intruded last night and I shouldn't have," she said. "It won't happen again."

"Oh, but I'm not complaining about anything. Honestly my surprise was quite an enjoyable one." He did his eye-thing and wiggled his brows at her, watching her scowl to cover the light blush that crept over her cheeks. He leaned closer and looked around the room dramatically as if someone were listening before he whispered, "Your boyfriend doesn't think so though."

She was trying really hard to listen to what he was saying, honestly, but with him being so damn close and those eyes looking straight into hers...

She blew out a short breath as she averted her gaze and hung her head like a scolded child. "I'll talk to him," she said softly, her feet suddenly becoming the most interesting things she'd ever seen. "Thanks for letting me stay here."

"Well I didn't necessarily have a say in whether or not you'd stay, considering you crawled in here while I was asleep and wrapped yourself around me like a vine."

Elena's cheeks flushed a dark crimson.

"But in all sincerity, you're welcome in my bedroom anytime Elena," he smiled cheekily.

She looked back up at him for only a second just for the fun of it before she brushed past him and down the hall to the stairs. She had to get home. She had to tell Jeremy and Ric where she'd been. She needed to get out.

A small realization struck her as she scampered down the stairwell, that she wasn't wearing any socks. Had she really been in that much of a hurry to get to the boarding house last night that she completely forgot to put some on? _Ugh._ She mentally kicked herself.

"Elena?"

And there it was. That moment when the world stilled and she had absolutely no idea what would happen next. Elena turned on the spot, wide, almost frightened eyes snapping up to lock with those shining green orbs that loved her so much. It was almost physically painful to know she didn't completely recipocrate those feelings anymore. He didn't deserve to be strung along.

"Hey Stefan," she breathed, taking wary steps forward as she forced a small smile to her lips.

"I'd ask what you were doing here but... seeing where you were earlier paints quite a clear picture." His voice wasn't void of all emotion, but the sadness that circled his words wasn't exactly all that comforting either.

"I'm sorry," Elena said quietly. "I just..." She trailed off, words failing her. How much more could she say than sorry?

"I'll come over later, we can talk about it then."

She nodded as she walked to the front door, already knowing and somewhat dreading the kind of talk they'd be having. It would be _the_ talk. The one where she'd finally set things straight and stopped pretending she still wanted to be with Stefan. The hard truth was she needed to break up with him. It would be over, for good this time.

Because her heart was after someone else.

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_Dear Diary,_

_So... I'm breaking up with Stefan today. I've been thinking about it for a while now, actually. And I'm quite certain it will feel like a relief; like I won't have to walk on eggshells all the time, or constantly remind myself that I _am_ with Stefan, and to not to drool all over Damon when we're in the same room._

_Speaking of the raven-haired bad boy, how long should I wait before telling him I want to be with him? It usually takes people months before they can even begin to think about relationships again, but for me... I really just wanna be with him; get to know him - I'm not even sure there's much more to learn. We've gotten so close lately it almost feels like we're already together, minus the whole kissing part. _

_On another note, I actually slept last night. Like literally snuggled beside Damon in that huge-ass bed of his and slept for more than five hours. My God it was so perfect I can't even explain it._

"Hey Elena!"

Her little bubble of excitement burst at the sound of her name being called by a high-pitched voice. It brought her downstairs, where she found Caroline by the front door, clad in all her favourite winter garments with an overpriced purse hanging from her shoulder.

"Get your purse and put some comfy shoes on, 'cause we're going shopping."

The two headed for the next town over, where the mall was bigger and had better stores, according to Caroline. They were going Christmas shopping, considering the big day was less than a week away.

"So what are you getting for Stefan?" Caroline asked as she shuffled through a row of shirts, groaning when all her favourites didn't have her size.

Elena sighed and watched her friend as she picked out a lacy red shirt along with a white one, and started for the change rooms. "I don't know Care," she said, following the head of curls through a crowd of people to find an empty room. "Nothing really stands out in his interests so it's not like I have any pointers."

"Ooh, you should get him like a cute little elf figurine or something, _ooh_ or maybe you should _dress up_ as a sexy elf and surprise him on Christmas Eve!" Caroline flashed a grin before huddling inside the small space and closing the curtain, her clothes immediately being shed. "Now _that_ would be the best gift of the year."

Elena rolled her eyes and leaned against a wall. "I'm not dressing up as an elf. Forget it."

"Why not?"

"'Cause."

"That's not an answer."

"Sure it is."

The curtain whipped open and Caroline stepped out in the red lace shirt, her eyes narrowed in suspicion. "What are you not telling me?" she demanded, pointing a long pale finger in Elena's face.

The brunette only shrugged. "Nothing," she lied.

"I know you're lying."

"I'm not!"

"Listen here Gilbert, you better tell me what the hell's going on or I swear to God I will go through each and every entry in that pathetic little diary of yours and-"

"It's not pathetic!" Elena shot back suddenly, her back straightening off the wall to meet Caroline's wrath full-on. "And what I'm keeping from you has absolutely nothing to do with you so stay out of my business, Nosy."

Caroline's eyes flared. "You're starting to sound like Damon," she commented dryly.

"Good. He's the only one that makes sense these days." Elena turned her back and made a beeline for the exit, immediately heading in a random direction to go anywhere but back there. Maybe she'd overreacted, or maybe she had every right to be angry at her best friend for shoving her nose in places Elena wanted to keep to herself right now. Either way, now she only needed to be left alone.

She sat down in a small cafe, thoughts upon thoughts jumbling up her brain. She felt like she wanted to talk to Damon, and she also needed to talk to Stefan... and now probably Caroline as well.

Groaning, Elena buried her face in her hands and massaged her temples. _It's beginning to look a lot like Hell... _

"Well, well, well... What a coincidence finding you here."

_That voice. _Elena glanced up. _Of course he's here._ She smiled at him and cocked her head to one side. "Maybe you were just following me."

"Bold accusation." Damon smirked, plopping down in the chair across from her. "How do I know you weren't following _me_?" He leaned over the table and narrowed his eyes playfully.

"Maybe I was." Elena couldn't hold back her smile.

A deep chuckle emanated from Damon's chest as he looked at her, his eyes sparkling mirthfully. "What are you doing here alone anyway?" he asked. "I hope not on a date, 'cause then I'd have to chase this guy down and tell him to back off or I'll show him my nasty side."

"Hmm, no," Elena laughed halfheartedly, and looked down at the table before sighing. "Caroline took me here to have 'fun' and buy presents for Christmas, but things got a little heated between us and I just... needed some space." She propped her head up in one hand, her other drawing shapes on the wooden surface in front of her.

"I assume this was about dear old Stefan."

Elena paused her movements to look back up at Damon. "How'd you know?" she murmured.

"I was still in the house when you talked to him earlier," he deadpanned, his eyes remaining warm and understanding. "So what did Blondie have to say?"

Elena scoffed and shook her head, "Nothing worth repeating." She sat back in the chair and slouched, her arms dangling lazily at her sides. Her sight drifted from Damon to around the room, and then outside of the cafe where she noticed a photo booth. It gave her an idea. "You wanna do something fun while we're here?" she asked him, her stomach putting itself in knots from the butterflies that swarmed.

Damon's face went from surprised to smug as he took in her beaming features and pondered her offer. "Elena, if you wanted to go on a date with me, all you had to do was ask."

He took satisfaction in the blush that coloured her cheeks.

"I didn't mean-, I-, uh..." Elena stumbled over her words and kept her gaze locked on her fingers, knowing the look he'd be giving her if she dared glance back up. "Just... hang out with me."

"Ooh, demanding now are we?"

She laughed softly before standing and holding her arm out to him, heart nearly skipping a beat when he grabbed her immediately and pulled her close. She directed him towards the booth where they stopped just before getting in, and Damon switched their positions, his back now facing the black curtain hanging from the side.

"Do you only want me in there so you can jump me in private?"

Elena jabbed Damon in the gut and he grinned, the sight making her insides melt. She liked when things were like this, when there weren't any problems to solve, when no one was around to spoil the fun. It was only them - nothing else mattered.

Slowly he tugged her hand, leading her inside. The air around them shifted gradually as the distance between them closed. Only a few mere inches stood between their bodies as brown and blue eyes refused to break contact. A daydream sparked in Elena's mind at that moment and her lips parted as the images flitted across her eyes and sent shivers down her arms. Damon was pulling her closer, his eyes hooded with lust and passion and all those emotions that Elena had never noticed before. She was guided onto his lap as he sat down, their chests facing eachother, ragged breaths racking her body as she struggled to find air. Desire flooded through her when he lifted her hair off one shoulder and dipped his head down, warm lips suddenly making contact with the skin on her neck.

"Damon..." she moaned and closed her eyes, head falling back to grant him further access. He was barely kissing her and she was already a mess.

"Elena..."

She smiled at the sound of her name. It sounded so... _intimate_, coming from his mouth.

"Elena."

Her mouth dropped in a frown. Did she do something wrong?

"Open your eyes, Elena."

_Huh?_

When her eyelids did finally lift themselves, she wasn't met with the picture she was expecting - sitting in Damon's lap, his arms wrapped protectively around her waist. Instead, they sat beside each other, but their faces were _so close_, she could feel the warmth of Damon's breath on her face and smell the faint tang of bourbon. She'd unknowingly leaned closer to him while she'd been daydreaming, and now Damon was practically backed up against the wall of the booth, probably trying to keep his self-control in check and not do something they'd both regret. _As if you'd actually regret anything when it comes to Damon,_ her mind scoffed.

"What are you doing?" Damon asked, his voice barely above a whisper. "I enjoy secretly making out just as much as the next guy, but right now you look about ready to pounce on me and rip my clothes to shreds."

His voice seemed to jump her out of her trance as she realized just how close they were getting and she pulled back, horrified. "I'm sorry!" she sqeaked.

Damon laughed at her expression, his hand brushing over her skin as he tucked a piece of hair away from her face. "You didn't really do anything wrong. I was just commenting on my observations." He smirked.

Elena fidgeted and tried to calm the giddy feeling that boiled in her chest. Seriously, how had she been able to resist Damon for so long?

_Stefan. It's because you had Stefan._

Her head shook lightly as she wiped away her thoughts, and then suddenly her phone buzzed from inside her purse. When she pulled it out, '_1 New Message_' flashed across the screen. It was probably from Caroline, Elena assumed, and tucked the phone away just as fast as she'd taken it out.

"Are we gonna take some pictures now or what?" Damon grinned from beside her and pressed a few buttons on the screen displayed in front of them.

"Don't you have to pay for them?" Elena asked, smiling at him when he sat back and wiggled his eyebrows.

"I know a cheat." He winked. "When you've lived as long as I have, you pick up a few loop-holes here and there."

He watched her with adoration as she laughed and raked her fingers through her long brown hair. "Of course you'd know how to get around paying _five dollars_ for pictures," she teased, letting her hands drop to her lap.

"Says the person who didn't buy a single thing in the store that every girl can never escape out of _without_ buying something."

"So you _were_ following me."

"I never said that."

"Uh-huh." Elena rolled her eyes amusedly. She softly bit her bottom lip as she leaned forward and picked a few of the filter options for the pictures. After pressing '_Take Photos!_' in the center, she looked at Damon, who looked back at her, his face smug and genuinely happy as he smirked down at her. Elena's eyes were drawn down to their hands when his fingers brushed hers, and that's when the flash went off, signaling the first picture had been taken.

"Look at me," Damon murmured to her, observing intently as she immediately obeyed. They stayed like that until the next flash went off.

"Now you can't take your eyes off me, huh?" he teased. When she didn't answer he quickly latched his fingers onto her sides and proceeded in tickling her, joining in the laughter when she started shrieking.

"Damon, stop!" she cried, the words barely decipherable over the sound of her gasps of air. People passing by the booth probably thought they were nut-cases.

Third flash.

"Your turn." Damon seized his movements and let Elena gather a few breaths before she turned to him and started feeling for his weak points.

Fourth flash.

"You're not ticklish, are you?" she asked, looking disappointed.

"Oh I am," he replied. "Just not where you'd expect."

A jolt of warmth shot to her _lower_ area when she tried picturing which spot he meant.

"Don't worry though, maybe someday I'll show you." He smirked.

Elena smiled warmly at him just as the last flash went off, and the screen returned to its original display.

"Looks like it's time to get out," Damon said. Elena nodded in reponse with her eyes still on him, before she pulled back the curtain and stepped out, allowing him some room as he got out after. When she picked up the photos from the small pocket in the side of the booth, she couldn't help but grin at them. They looked like a couple... head-over-heels in love with each other.

"Damn, now those are some fine pictures."

Elena laughed and carefully placed them in her purse before she turned back to Damon. "Thank you... for that," she smiled. "It was fun."

His blue eyes lit up at her statement. "Technically it was your idea," he said.

"Yeah but you made it better."

"That's not the only thing I can make better."

"Damon!"

"What?"

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"Check this one out, it looks like Chewbacca and Tinkerbell made a kid together."

"Yeah what is that? It looks retarded."

"Now Elena, that wasn't very nice. No one looks _retarded_."

"Really? How would you describe yourself if you dressed up in leotards and a tutu?"

"Retarded."

Damon and Elena both laughed happily as they walked through Build-A-Bear Workshop and looked at all the plush animals on display. Kids from all over the place had made them, but some of them clearly had _creative_ imaginations.

"You wanna make one?" Damon asked suddenly, and picked up a small brown bear without the stuffing. It bent backwards in his hand and Elena had to cover her mouth to stop the giggles.

"No thanks," she replied, stepping forward. "You should, though."

"You think?" he smiled back.

"Definitely." She tried grabbing the fake animal from his leather-clad arms, but she only caught hold of a leg and when she yanked on it, they both froze as the unmistakable sound of tearing filled their ears.

An incredulous look flew over Damon's face as he fought off a grin from his lips. "Did you just...?"

Elena swallowed guiltily. "Um, we can fix it. Right?"

"Well sure, but now it's yours." He shoved it in her hands and pouted. "I don't want a broken teddy."

"And who says _I_ want a broken teddy?"

"It was your fault."

"So?"

"_So_, now you have to get it. I don't make the stuffed animal rules."

"Oh sure you don't. Damon, I'm pretty sure there aren't any rules for-"

Damon's hand flew up, abruptly interrupting her in the middle of her sentence. He could sense something - or someone, nearby.

"What's wrong?" Elena asked, her brow furrowing with concern. Damon's gaze snapped up without a word, his line of vision directed behind her as he glared daggers at someone obviously standing there.

"You have visitors," he stated, his voice low and monotone. It confused Elena for a moment until she spun on her heels and recognition fell on her when she saw whom Damon had been talking about. Stefan stood outside of the store with his hands in his pockets, looking calm as usual but displaying a hint of jealousy in his demeanor. Beside him stood Caroline, her face hard and stoic as her arms were crossed tightly across her chest and she ignored Elena's presence completely, the only thing on her mind being the fact that Damon was there too.

"You should go talk to them," Damon said. "They don't look like they want to wait all day for explanations."

"I shouldn't have to explain to them why I'm hanging out with my best friend."

Her answer surprised both herself and Damon, who now stood frozen to the ground, staring at Elena with this look on his face that made her want to slap it off of him. But he could barely believe what she'd just said. Was he really her best friend? How did that even happen? _When_ did that happen?

"Just wait here Damon," Elena told him, placing her one hand flat against his chest at the same time handing him the bear with the other. "I'll be right back."

The warmth of her palm burned through his shirt and danced on his skin underneath, tingling even long after she'd released contact. It taunted him, knowing he couldn't feel that touch every minute of his existence. His eyes trailed her intensely as she made her way toward Stefan and Caroline, and he wished she'd turn around and come back to him instead. The blonde's sharp blue orbs shot to his at that, almost as if she'd heard his thoughts. Damon being Damon, responded with a dramatic eye-roll and a scowl, to which attracted attention from a clerk in the store. The young blonde girl noticed the bear in his hand first, and the torn leg second.

"You have to pay for that you know," she said.

Damon didn't know what surprised him most: why someone her age would want to work in a place like Build-A-Bear, or the nasally voice that came out of her mouth. It didn't match the appearance.

His eyes were still stuck to the scene outside of the store as he replied, "I... found it this way."

The girl strode closer to him until he could smell the overwhelmingly horrid blends of perfume she bathed in that morning. "I could show you how to fix it... If you'd like." She grinned up at him through her fake eyelashes.

"I'll pass," Damon said, bored. He forced a smile to his lips as he shoved the small teddy in her arms. "But here, you can have it."

He didn't give the girl a chance to stop him before he was walking to meet up with Elena, along with Thing 1 and Thing 2. Suddenly Thing 1 pulled the brunette forward and planted one on her, his hands grasping her upper arms to hold her there. It stopped Damon in his tracks and for a minute he felt like someone had just punched him in the gut. Dammit, he had to stop thinking he had a chance with that girl. Thing 2 actually had the decency to show a little compassion as he watched the love of his life kiss his brother.

_I think I'm gonna puke._ He grimaced.

"St- Stefan!" Elena was pushing him off of her, practically using all her strength just to put some space between them. When he finally budged, Elena brought her hand up and whipped it across his face, feeling a tad bit better at the emotion that flickered across his features. Caroline stood a few paces to the side as an on-looker, the same expression painted over her.

"You knew Damon was there," Elena growled at him, glancing briefly over at Caroline before turning back to face Stefan. "Dick. Move."

"Wait," he pleaded softly, reaching for her hand when she started moving away from him. "Elena-"

"No Stefan." The look in her eyes sent a pang of guilt to the pit of his stomach. "I'm not listening this time."

He let her go then, deciding that following her was a bad idea. Instead he turned the other way and stalked off, leaving Caroline standing at the crossroad.

"W-wait!" she cried, almost running to catch up with Elena but stopped when she noticed how pissed off she looked. It kind of hurt knowing the anger was directed partially at her, but at the same time Caroline couldn't fully blame her for being mad. First she called the diary pathetic, and then moronically thought it was a good idea to call her boyfriend whom Elena clearly didn't want to talk about, much less see him. No wonder people thought she was annoying.

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Elena searched the whole store trying to find that messy black hair, but _he_ was nowhere to be found. _Great,_ she muttered to herself. _Now he's probably pissed at me._

"Looking for someone?"

The same blonde from before had watched a frustrated Elena walk into the store and peer down all the aisles, her face contorting into a deeper frown each time she found nothing but strangers and their kids. She was hoping the brunette wasn't looking for that handsome man she'd met earlier, because damn, everything about him screamed bad boy and she was desperate for a little fun.

Elena turned and smiled shyly. "Yeah, I am actually," she answered breathlessly, tucking her hair behind her ears. "He's um, tall, with black hair, glass-like blue eyes and wearing a leather jacket." She gulped down dry air and twisted her neck around to check for him again, hoping he'd magically show up. "Have you seen him?" she asked.

"Sure," the clerk replied curtly, not really trying to hide her annoyance. "He left."

"Did you see which way he went?"

"Nope."

Elena made a noise between a whimper and a groan as she ran her fingers through her hair, causing it to fall across her face all over again. "Thanks anyway," she said and nodded appreciation to the young woman standing in front of her. Before the girl could roll her eyes or retort something back, Elena hurried out of the store and turned the corner to find a map of the mall.

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"What's got _you_ so pissed off?"

Alaric had gone to the Grill for his usual evening of drowning his thoughts of Jenna when he spotted Damon's car already parked there. It wasn't much of a surprise, really - the both of them practically lived there. But there was always a reason. So Alaric went inside, and sure enough, he caught the jet black hair up at the bar, pouring several shots before downing them all and then repeating the process.

"Mmph," was all Damon mumbled back, obviously drunk. He reached for a bottle of scotch when the five glasses appeared empty, but Ric stopped him by grabbing it before him and and sliding it down the bar.

"Damon," he said, grasping his shoulder firmly. "What are you doing, man? And where's Elena?"

The vampire scoffed and shrugged the hand off his shoulder at the mention of her name. _E-len-a..._ he drawled in his thoughts. Why the hell did she have to keep messing with him like this? They'd been having so much fun lately, they were getting closer... Today her smile had been more beautiful than he'd ever seen before and it got wiped away as soon as Saint Stefan stepped in with the Devil in Curls. He was expecting Elena to go home with him or sit down somewhere and talk things out, but he certainly didn't see that kiss coming. What hurt more was she didn't turn away. She freaking stood there and kissed him back.

"Hello?" Ric shook him lightly. "You hearing me?"

By now Damon was already half-sober - one of the only downsides to being a vampire with speedy healing abilites. "Yeah, idiot," he grumbled and languidly spun on the barstool to face the only friend he had. "I'm thinking."

"Well that's never a good thing," Alaric mumbled to himself, knowing Damon could hear. A glare was tossed his way and he smirked slightly. "Did something happen with Elena?"

"I don't know, genius." Damon tilted his head slightly and widened his eyes. "You figure it out."

"I'll take that as a yes, then."

"So you _do_ have a brain up there?" Damon gasped, his mouth forming an 'o' shape in mock surprise before he covered it with a hand.

Ric shook his head. "Where is Elena?" he asked again, slower.

"Who cares? She's probably off with Stefan and Blondie for all I know. What's the big deal?"

"Damon, she's not with them."

"And how do you know that?"

"I saw them earler, they told me she was with you."

That seemed to catch the vampire's attention more, and his frustration faltered just enough for him to actually think about Elena's well-being. Of course he worried about her all the time, but he'd never say it aloud. "She isn't with me though," Damon said. "So that means Elena's still at the mall." He automatically reached for his phone in his back pocket.

"The mall closes early on a Saturday," Alaric replied. "She's not allowed back in the building until they open again, obviously. Which means she's outside somewhere."

"_Somewhere_?"

"She might walk to another store, but they'll all be closing soon as well." He glanced down at his watch and shook his head once more. "Tonight's going to be one of the coldest nights in _years_, Damon. And Elena's out there in what, a jacket and mittens?"

"I need to go get her," Damon stated, moving so quickly his friend didn't even get a chance to say anything back. When he disappeared outside, Alaric turned back to the bar and ordered another drink.

"I am such a good friend."

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After searching the entirity of the building and coming up empty-handed, Elena reached the conclusion that Damon left, and Caroline and Stefan were most likely long gone as well. That left her stranded at the mall with no ride home.

"_We are now closing for the night_," a voice over the speakers announced suddenly. "_Please exit the building_."

She sighed heavily and trudged to the nearest exit. Even though her day hadn't been the best, she did manage to find presents for her friends. So at least something came out of this visit today. The cold air hit her like a ton of bricks when she walked outside, and she noticed the temperature had dropped considerably since the last time she'd been out. Shivering, Elena pulled on her mittens and zipped her jacket up tighter. By now street lamps illuminated the roads and parking lot, darkness deepening the more she looked around. Not one person was in sight; Elena wasn't sure she'd ever seen the place so deserted.

Hopefully Alaric could come pick her up; the thought of standing alone in the cold made her shudder.

She muttered under her breath when she had to take off one of her mittens again, so she could go through her purse and dig around for her cell phone. Her relief when she found the object was short-lived though - the battery was dead.

"Great," she mumbled, her eyes doing a quick check of her surroundings to make sure she was still alone. "So now I have to wait for someone to realize I'm gone."

She started walking. The weather forecast had stated the temperature would drop drastically as the night went on, which Elena wasn't very ecstatic over. She'd only brought mittens with her, and they were rather thin. After a while the cold would blow straight through them, and she didn't feel like losing her fingers to frost bite tonight. So maybe if she kept moving, she'd keep warm longer.

The wind picked up after about fifteen minutes of walking. It blew her hair over her face every time she'd sweep it away and numbed her fingers so quickly to the point where she was sure the tips had fallen off. And while she had all this time to herself, she thought about her different problems in life. Stefan was probably beating himself up over his previous actions, Caroline was following him like a tail and Damon... Well there were a few places he could be.

The cold was beginning to seep into her shoes. She wasn't wearing boots - a decision she regretted - and the material of her converse were horribly thin. It seemed her whole night would consist of cursing at herself for being so stupid on several occasions.

A car honked from behind Elena as she continued down the sidewalk, making her jump as it pulled up beside her and came to a still. Her heart stopped in her chest as she went through all the different scenarios she could be in. But then the door opened, and those familiar blue eyes gazed back at her. Suddenly she didn't feel like getting in. No, she wanted to ignore him. He left without saying anything, he left her alone to freeze to death.

"Elena!" he called to her when she walked on. Her cheeks were ice and the tips of her ears felt painful to the touch, but she didn't care at that moment. She picked up her pace; she just wanted to get away from Damon.

"Elena, come on!" By the sound of his voice he'd gotten out of the car, and her suspicion was confirmed when she heard the slam of his door. Then she felt the whoosh of air before he was standing directly in front of her, blocking her path.

"Get out of my way," she muttered, pushing at him. He didn't even flinch.

"Not until you get in the car."

Elena looked up and glared at Damon. "So suddenly you care about me? Funny, seeing as you _left_." She dodged his arm when he reached for her and started running.

"I thought you were with Stefan," he admitted, once again cutting off her path.

"Well I wasn't," she breathed, crossing her arms tightly across her chest. "I went looking for you after he... held me down and kissed me."

She noticed the immediate change in his eyes, the way his jaw clenched and his nose scrunched slightly. "What do you mean he held you down?" he asked, slowly, dangerously.

"Um." She hesitated for a moment. "He was holding my arms so tightly I... I couldn't move them or push him away," she whispered. "But when he did I slapped him and went after you..."

He never responded to her answer. Instead he gestured to the car with a bob of his head and started walking. "Come on," he said, his voice somewhat softer. "Let's go home."

The drive back was quiet, and for that Elena was grateful. It gave her time to think about everything. She'd forgiven Damon for leaving her at the mall the minute he came back. The only thing she could think about was hugging him or kissing him senseless... But then again she always thought about that. She had so much to say to Damon - or so much she _wanted_ to say to him. But she had to talk to Stefan first. It wasn't exactly fair to him if she got together with his brother without even ending things. She wouldn't become Katherine.

"So I guess I'll talk to you tomorrow," Damon said as they walked up the steps to Elena's porch.

"Yeah, I'll text you or something." Elena looked to the front door and then back to Damon, her mouth parting slightly as if she wanted to say something. "Listen, Damon..."

"It's no big deal," he replied before she could finish her sentence. He knew she was just going to ramble on about being sorry, or that he misunderstood the situation. All he wanted right now was for her to get inside and sleep. Something still felt off.

"Okay," Elena sighed tiredly and wrapped her mitten-clad hand around the doorknob before slowly twisting it. Her eyes blew up to the size of saucers when the person standing on the other side of the door wasn't Jeremy, or Ric, or any of her friends. Instead she stared at the crinkles in his skin that surrounded the area of his dark brown eyes, more prominent as he smiled. The cologne she remembered he'd always worn enveloped her senses and brought tears to her eyes as memories flashed in her head. It was really him.

"Daddy..." she whispered, dragging one foot forward to get closer to him.

"Huh?" Ric stood there looking absolutely confused before looking at Damon. He only shrugged.

Grayson Gilbert smiled broadly down at Elena and chuckled softly. "Miss me?"

She blinked several times, her mind still not believing what she was seeing. In her eyes she was gazing at her father. But it was only a dream... She just didn't know it yet.

Every time she opened her eyes he still stood there, arms open wide and welcoming her into his embrace. Finally she took the last step forward and flung herself into his arms, inhaling that all-too-familiar scent of him as she sniffled and sobbed into his shirt.

"Elena," he spoke, bringing a smile to her lips. She thought she'd never hear him say her name again. "Why'd you leave us?"

Her tears of happiness and beaming features dropped in an instant. His words were like a cold rush of water pouring over her head and it made her gasp as she stepped back, mouth ajar, eyes bloodshot and puffy. "What did you say?" she asked.

Grayson's gaze drifted to the road behind her, which only caused Elena to peer around as well. The sight she found made her heart stop beating. A car - _the_ car she'd been in with her parents on the night of the accident was parked there. She started walking towards it, her breaths uneven, shaky and short. Her mind hadn't ackowledged the fact that Damon no longer stood with her until she'd reached the car window to peek inside.

"Oh my God," she cried, running to the other side. Her hand immediately yanked the handle on the door, but no matter how hard she tried to pry it open it never budged. It was like it was frozen shut completely. "Daddy, help!" she shouted, desperation lacing her words. Sobs escaped her lips after every unseccessful tug. Her mother sat in the passenger's seat, unconscious and slouched to the side. Water was filling the car, faster by the second.

"Elena, you left us." Her father stood behind her now, his voice haunting her in a way she never wanted to hear again. "Why'd you leave us?" he asked again.

A defeated choke was elicited from her throat before she wobbled backwards and looked back up at her father. His eyes were cold and so unfriendly, it chilled her to the bone. "Daddy," she whispered, "why are you showing me this? You know I'd change the past if I could."

"Would you?" he challenged. "You might not have met those Salvatore brothers if you did."

"But-"

"You left us, 'Lena." She grimaced at the harsh use of her childood nickname. "You were supposed to come with us."

"Then take me with you now!" she exclaimed, newly shed tears streaking her cheeks.

"No," Grayson mumbled before closing the last distance between them. He placed his hands on both sides of her head before turning it to face the car window. "You have to see what you've done," he sneered.

This was not her father. This couldn't be real.

"I can't," Elena cried and tried digging her nails into his hands. "I can't look at this."

"Yes! And you will!"

"No!" Her eyes snapped shut, her heart was pounding and her head throbbed, hands cold and cheeks numb. Suddenly a blood-curdling scream filled her ears. It was her own.

"Elena! Jesus, Elena snap out of it!"

Damon, Alaric and Jeremy had the girl on the floor in the living room. They'd carried her in as soon as she started screaming. Damon was holding down her arms and legs, Jeremy was merely standing and staring and Alaric was trying to hold down her head.

"Elena!" Damon shouted once more. His blue eyes were wide with fear and concern; he'd never seen his Elena like this before.

Her cries died down abruptly as if someone flicked a switch. Then her eyes fluttered open, groggily. The tears coating her eyelashes dropped down into her eyes painfully, making her shoot upwards into a sitting position.

"Elena...?" Alaric spoke softly, one hand placed on her back.

"Mm..." she croaked, glancing around the room. She looked at each face that circled her, until she found Damon. Without hesitation she jumped on him, the sudden weight knocking him back. Her arms locked securely around his neck and she nuzzled her face in by his jaw, her nose just barely grazing the skin.

"Um..." Jeremy's eyebrows shot to his forehead as he took in the scene. Wow. He never thought he'd see the day when Elena openly threw herself at Damon.

"I'll take her to her room," Damon said firmly when he got back on his feet. Ric nodded in consent and watched the two of them until they disappeared upstairs. Then shaking his head, he went to get a bottle of scotch and flopped down on the couch.

By the time Damon had gotten Elena in bed, she was alreay fast asleep. It was those moments Damon loved most - when he could freely study her, and the way her eyes sometimes jumped around under the lids if she was dreaming, or her eyebrows furrowed like she was confused or annoyed with something. But his favourite moment was when she'd talk in her sleep. He could rarely piece together full sentences, but there was always one word - one name - that stood out and was spoken clearly, like a lover's whisper in his ear.

"Damon..."

He smirked. His fingers caressed her rosy cheeks softly, irresistibly comparing them to the texture of a rose petal. He decided her skin was the softest of the two. The memory of finding her in his bed that morning was still fresh in his mind, reminding him that she didn't come there by mistake. She came there because she wanted to be with _him_. And he had no idea why. How could someone so beautiful, so compassionate and as humane as it gets, willingly lay beside him and wrap herself around him like he was her only protector, her rock? It was baffling.

Leaning down, Damon gingerly pressed his lips to Elena's forehead and lingered for only a few seconds, before he pulled back and fled out the window to his Camaro.

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She heard his steady breathing, felt his fingertips on her heating cheeks, lips on her skin, before it was gone all-too-soon and the only thing signaling he'd been there was the scent of his cologne. Elena sat up in bed as soon as she knew Damon was gone. The time was barely past 7 PM but outside the darkness surrounded every nook and corner. The moon hid behind thick clouds, blocking any light from seeping through her curtains. She was alone in her room, with only one thing on her mind:

"There's no way I'm sleeping tonight."

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**A/N: Alright. SUPER long chapter. I hope everyone likes it, and again, I'm so sorry it took this long to post. (: **

**Don't forget to review! xx**


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